Elise Shoss, a 12-year-old from West University Place, will appear in the TUTS’ production of “Annie” as Duffy, one of the lead orphans. (Photo submitted by Theatre Under The Stars)

Elise Shoss, a 12-year-old from West University Place, will appear in the TUTS’ production of “Annie” as Duffy, one of the lead orphans. (Photo submitted by Theatre Under The Stars)

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Everyone’s favorite redhead orphan and her pals in the seven-time Tony Award winning production “Annie.” Theatre Under The Stars will present “Annie” from March 20 through April 1 at the Hobby Center for The Performing Arts. (Photo by Claire McAdams for Theatre Under The Stars) less

Everyone’s favorite redhead orphan and her pals in the seven-time Tony Award winning production “Annie.” Theatre Under The Stars will present “Annie” from March 20 through April 1 at the Hobby Center ... more

You can bet your bottom dollar that seven-time Tony Award winner “Annie” will bring a smile to your face!

Everyone’s favorite redhead orphan is back to belt her heart out and dance up a storm along with her orphan pals, featuring one of West University Place’s own young talent.

Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) is excited to present the family favorite musical “Annie,” running March 20 through April 1 at the Hobby Center for The Performing Arts.

Annie, along with her dancing, singing orphan pals and her adorable dog Sandy, will once again face off against Miss Hannigan, then find her way home with Daddy Warbucks and his lovely companion Grace. A special delight, viewers will see the best young talent in Houston, courtesy of TUTS’ Humphreys School of Musical Theatre, in one of the most beloved productions to ever take the stage.

Elise Shoss, a 12-year-old from West University Place, will appear in the production as Duffy, one of the lead orphans. Shoss, who attends the Emery/Weiner School, has been in six other productions prior; one at Wildfish Theatre and five at the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston (JCC).

Leading the cast as the spunky, adorable orphan is Sadie Sink. Sink, a resident of Brenham, Texas, appeared as Susan Waverly in TUTS’ recent holiday show “White Christmas.” She attends First Baptist Church School in Brenham, and is a student at TUTS’ Humphreys School of Musical Theatre.

Staring as the lovable tycoon Oliver Warbucks is George Dvorsky. A familiar face at TUTS, Dvorsky has acted in several productions including the recent shows “A Wonderful Life” and “The Sound Of Music.” On Broadway, he appeared in the title role of “The Scarlet Pimpernel” and in the revival of “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” His other Broadway credits include the Tony Award-winning “Passion,” as well as “Marilyn: An American Fable” and “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.”

The comically conniving Miss Hannigan will be performed by Michele Ragusa. Her previous theatre experience includes Broadway’s “Young Frankenstein,” “Urinetown,” “A Class Act,” “Titanic,” “Cyrano,” and “Ragtime” as well as the national tours of “West Side Story,” “Nunsense II” and “Fiddler On The Roof.” Michele is the recipient of the Barrymore Award and received Lucille Lortel and Drama League nominations for her work in Christopher Durang and Peter Melnick’s “Adrift In Macau.”

Grace Farrell, Warbucks’ personal assistant, will be portrayed by Glory Crampton. Crampton has appeared in previous TUTS productions like “Phantom,” “My Fair Lady,” and “Hello, Dolly!.” An accomplished singer who has performed with the likes of Jose Carreras from The Three Tenors, Crampton has played in several off-Broadway shows such as “Death Takes A Holiday” and “Carnival.”

Hannigan’s scheming brother Rooster will be played by Dave Schoonover, whose credits include the national tour of “Cats.” Rooster’s girlfriend and accomplice Lily will be played by Brandi Wooten. Wooten last appeared on the TUTS stage in “A Chorus Line.” She also has earned accolades from her work on Broadway in “9 to 5: The Musical” and Monty Python’s “Spamalot.”

Appearing as Franklin D. Roosevelt will be Tom Treadwell, who played in TUTS’ last production of “Annie” as well as in the Broadway revival of “Annie.” He has also toured nationally with “Ragtime,” “Cats” and “Company.” Treadwell’s other credits include several off-Broadway productions like “The Last Starfighter,” “Miss Liberty” and “Meet Me In St. Louis” as well as many television and film appearances.

Making an appearance as Sandy will be Macy. Dog trainer Bill Berloni was brought into the fold to train Macy for her role as Sandy. Berloni is widely recognized as an expert in animal behavior and for his dedication to rescue work. In addition to his work as a trainer, Bill is currently behavior consultant to the Humane Society of New York. He also holds a BFA in theatre, is a published author and actor, and is the 2011 recipient of the Tony Honor for Excellence in Theatre. In reflection of his 30 years of developing animals into trained actors, Berloni published his book, Broadway Tails, in 2008 as a collection of heartfelt stories of rescued dogs who became showbiz superstars.

“Annie” is based on the popular Harold Gray comic strip “Little Orphan Annie.” The show features a book by Thomas Meehan, music by Charles Strouse, and lyrics by Martin Charnin.

“Annie” will be directed by Mark Waldrop. Waldrop’s previous work on stage includes Broadway’s “La Cage Aux Folles,” “Evita” and the revival of “Hello, Dolly!.” He boasts two Drama Desk Awards for his work with Howard Crabtree’s “When Pigs Fly.” “Annie” also features the work of choreographer Tara Jeanne Vallee. As a performer, Vallee is a two time World Tap Champion and performed at the Town Hall in the NY Tap Extravaganza honoring Gregory Hines. She has danced in national tours of “The Music Man,” “My Fair Lady,” and “Footloose.” Her choreography was seen on Broadway in “Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy” after 2 years of a successful national tour.

Joining them on the creative team is musical director and conductor Eddy Robinson. Also lending their talents to the creative team are longtime TUTS colleagues sound designer Kit Bond, lighting designer Richard Winkler and assistant lighting designer Paul Hudson.

Tickets starting at $24 are available online at www.tuts.com, by phone at 713-558-8887 (TUTS), outside the Houston area at 888-558-3882, or in person at the Theatre Under The Stars Box Office, located at 800 Bagby at Walker, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. An audio described performance is available Sunday, April 1 at 2 p.m.; open captioning is available Sunday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m. The Hobby Center is wheelchair accessible. Discounts are available for groups of 15 or more. Group tickets may be purchased by calling 713-558-8888 or via email at groupsales@tuts.com.